Strengthening digital skills and security of researchers

 

Digital technologies offer both benefits and risks to research across the South. In recent years, more researchers are working online, using digital and artificial intelligence tools and using social media platforms to communicate their work. Safe and secure storage of data, and in turn, protecting research participants, has become more challenging.

Risks to researchers are becoming more important for donors to take into consideration when making grants. Currently, there are very few fit-for-purpose tools to guide donors in making sure their grants are up-to-date, show value for money and are robust enough to assist research partners in conducting their research in safe and ethical ways. This is even more true for research that uses digital tools. This project identifies strategies to equip research teams with the knowledge and tools to enable digital security and to guide donors in how to avoid inadvertently exposing researchers to unnecessary risks through their granting processes.

This project supports two complementary lines of research that together will develop protocols and guidance on strengthening the digital resilience capacity of researchers and pilot interventions for assessing the human rights impact of digital programs. The first line of research will build the capacity of research partners through a digital mentoring program. Approximately 15 pilot cases will document what works (and what does not) and how to scale support. The second line of research will develop and pilot a Human Rights Impact Assessment toolbox for funders tailored to digital research. This research builds on IDRC’s efforts to contribute to global and donor thinking on how to support digital security during research. It will be central to IDRC efforts to support more alliances committed to research integrity.